Eyokuqala EyamaKhosi
3 USolomoni wathatha indodakazi kaFaro+ inkosi yeGibhithe, wayiletha edolobheni likaDavida+ yahlala khona waze waqeda ukwakha indlu yakhe+ lendlu kaJehova+ kanye lomduli weJerusalema.+ 2 Abantu babelokhu besenza imihlatshelo ezindaweni eziphakemeyo*+ ngoba indlu edumisa ibizo likaJehova yayingakakhiwa.+ 3 USolomoni waqhubeka emthanda uJehova, elandela imithetho ayeyiphiwe nguyise uDavida. Kodwa wayesenza imihlatshelo futhi etshisa iminikelo ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.+
4 INkosi uSolomoni yasuka yaya eGibhiyoni isiyakwenza imihlatshelo ngoba yikho lapho okwakulendawo ephakemeyo eyayiqakatheke kulazo zonke.+ Yanikela e-alithareni ngemihlatshelo yokutshiswa engu-1 000.+ 5 UJehova wabonakala kuSolomoni ephutsheni ngesikhathi eseGibhiyoni wathi kuye: “Cela loba yini ofuna ngikunike yona.”+ 6 USolomoni wasesithi: “Ubulothando oluqotho futhi olukhulu kubaba uDavida inceku yakho. Wahamba phambi kwakho ethembekile, elungile futhi elenhliziyo eqotho. Ubulokhu ulothando oluqotho kuye kwaze kwaba lamuhla njengoba umnike indodana ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi.+ 7 Khathesi Jehova Nkulunkulu wami ungibeke ngaba yinkosi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikababa uDavida lanxa nje ngisesemncane futhi ngingelalwazi.+ 8 Inceku yakho iphakathi kwabantu obakhethileyo+ abanengi kakhulu okokuthi ngeke babalwe. 9 Ngakho nika inceku yakho inhliziyo elalelayo ukuze yahlulele abantu bakho+ futhi yehlukanise phakathi kokuhle lokubi.+ Kambe ngubani ongenelisa ukwahlulela abantu bakho abanengi kangaka?”*
10 UJehova wathokoza esizwa isicelo sikaSolomoni.+ 11 Ngakho wathi kuye: “Njengoba ungazange ucele impilo ende loba inotho kumbe ukuthi izitha zakho zife, kodwa ucele ukuthi ube lokuzwisisa nxa usahlulela amacala,+ 12 ngizakwenza lokho okucelileyo.+ Ngizakupha inhliziyo elokuhlakanipha futhi ezwisisayo.+ Uzahlakanipha ukwedlula bonke abantu abake baphila njalo akusoze kube lomunye umuntu ohlakaniphe njengawe.+ 13 Ngizakunika lalokho ongazange ukucele.+ Ngizakunika inotho lodumo+ futhi akusoze kube lenkosi enjengawe ngesikhathi usaphila.+ 14 Nxa ungahamba ezindleleni zami, ugcine imithetho yami lemilayo yami njengoyihlo uDavida,+ ngizakunika lempilo ende.”+
15 USolomoni wathi ephaphama wananzelela ukuthi wayebone umbono. Wasuka waya eJerusalema wayakuma phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova, wanikela imihlatshelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yobudlelwano+ njalo wenzela zonke izinceku zakhe idili.
16 Ngalesosikhathi kwafika enkosini abesifazana ababili abayizifebe, bama phambi kwayo. 17 Owokuqala wathi: “Nkosi yami, mina lomama lo sihlala sonke endlini. Ngabeletha ngesikhathi laye ekhona endlini. 18 Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu ngibelethile, laye wabeletha. Sasibabili kuphela endlini, kungela omunye umuntu. 19 Ebusuku umama lo ulele phezu komntanakhe, umntanakhe wasesifa. 20 Yikho uvuke phakathi kobusuku wathatha indodana yami eceleni kwami ngesikhathi ngilele, wayilalisa esifubeni sakhe, kodwa eyakhe efileyo uyithethe wayilalisa esifubeni sami. 21 Ngithe ngivuka ekuseni ngisithi ngimunyise indodana yami ngananzelela ukuthi isifile, ngasengiyihlolisisa ngabona ukuthi ayisiyo indodana yami engiyizeleyo.” 22 Kodwa owesifazana wesibili wathi: “Hatshi, indodana yami yileyi ephilayo, eyakho yiyo efileyo!” Owokuqala laye wayelokhu esithi: “Indodana yakho yiyo efileyo, eyami iyaphila.” Baqhubeka bephikisana phambi kwenkosi.
23 Inkosi yacina isithi: “Omunye uthi, ‘Indodana yami yileyi ephilayo, eyakho yiyo efileyo!’ Omunye laye uthi, ‘Hatshi, indodana yakho yiyo efileyo, eyami iyaphila!’” 24 Inkosi yaqhubeka yathi: “Lethani inkemba,” basebebuya layo. 25 Inkosi yasisithi: “Qumani umntwana phakathi laphakathi, enye ingxenye liyinike omunye owesifazana, enye liyinike omunye.” 26 Unina womntwana ophilayo wathi esizwa lokho wayincenga inkosi ngoba kwasekuhela ngaphakathi, wathi kuyo: “Nkosi yami ngicela ungambulali umntwana! Ngicela umnike umama lo!” Kodwa owesifazana wesibili wayelokhu esithi: “Kaqunywe phakathi! Kakho phakathi kwethu okufanele amthathe!” 27 Inkosi ithe isizwa lokho yathi: “Nikani owesifazana wokuqala umntwana ophilayo ngoba nguye unina. Lingambulali umntwana.”
28 Bonke abantu bako-Israyeli bamangala besizwa ukuthi inkosi yahlulele njani.+ Bananzelela ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayeyiphe ukuhlakanipha, yikho yayisahlulela kuhle.+